Sibling Rivalry Over the Moon
by thefruitsofmysoul
Summary: Lillie likes Moon. So does Gladion. Moon is clueless and Hau declares himself to be the ultimate wingman. What happens? (Set five years after Sun and Moon, when Lillie first returns from Kanto).
1. You're On!

**Lillie's POV**

It had been five long years, but Lillie had finally done it. By the age of 16, she had completed her journey in Kanto and become the Pokémon League Champion. The road was far from easy, given her past with her family and the way said past had taken a toll on her, but she was finally returning to Alola. Alola wasn't where she was from, but Alola was her _home_.

As she stepped off of the boat in Iki Town, she sighed a breath of relief. She could finally see her friends again, and – though she wasn't quite ready to admit it – she was thrilled at the prospect of seeing Gladion again. Though the relationship between the two siblings had been strained at best when she left five years ago, she was happy to say that the distance had been good for them. They'd sent letters to one another, and were finally at the stage in their lives where they could consider one another true family again.

Lillie's eyes narrowed in concentration as she took in her surroundings. The familiar smell of malasadas entered her nostrils and she immediately thought of Hau. Her energetic friend was _always_ raving about malasadas, declaring them to be the food of the champions.

Speaking of which, _where was Hau?_ He was supposed to be meeting her at the docks today and she saw no sign of the boy.

As Lillie continued to look around, the unsettling feeling of fear creeping up her chest, her emerald eyes met very familiar eyes – familiar _green_ eyes.

 _Gladion_

Her older brother was leaning casually against a streetlight as he gave her a nonchalant wave. The action would've appeared indifferent to most, but Lillie understood Gladion as well as she understood herself. The telltale smirk at the corner of Gladion's lips warmed Lillie as she rushed over to him.

"Gladion!"

Gladion's smirk increased slightly to form a genuine smile as Lillie approached him. As the two stood in an excited silence, Gladion rolled his eyes playfully, opening his arms wide.

"Come here."

Lillie gratefully accepted his gesture, squeezing her older brother tightly. Though Lillie was now regarded as the cold, calm, and collected champion of the Kanto region, what people didn't understand was how affectionate she could be when given the chance. Whether that had been a result of her mother – Lusamine – or not, she didn't know, but all she knew in this moment was that she was glad to see her brother.

"Your malasada friend told me to give this to you." Gladion handed her a small note, Hau's handwriting easily distinguishable on the piece of parchment, "I take it you're glad to see me."

Lillie rolled her eyes at Gladion's smug tone. Even before all that had happened with Teams Aether and Skull, Gladion had always liked to assume that the world revolved around him. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much his presence meant to her.

 _She had a feeling he already knew anyways._

'Alola Lillie!" Hau's note read, 'I'm super psyched to see you back here in Alola! I missed you. Kukui and Burnet missed you. Cosmog…sorry… _Lunala_ missed you. Moon missed you. We all did. Sorry I couldn't come to pick you up at the docks. I just figured that having Gladion show up instead would be a great surprise, so TA-DA! Score one for the Hau-ster! Anyways, when you're ready, just swing on by the lab. Everyone's waiting for you!'

When Lillie had finished reading, she noticed Gladion staring at her strangely.

"What?" she asked.

Gladion shrugged.

"It's just been a while since I've seen you this happy."

Lillie found herself agreeing with Gladion's words. She _was_ happy. She was happy that so many people had missed her. Granted, she never wanted to cause anyone any sadness, but this was a _good_ kind of sadness.

'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' She heard Hau's voice chipperly say in her head, 'Tis better to have loved and lost…wait, wrong quote!"

Lillie giggled a bit to herself. Even in her own head, Hau was a lovable goofball.

Still, Lillie couldn't ignore the pang that she got in her stomach at the thought of Moon missing her. Even before she left for Kanto, Lillie was always very fond of Moon. She admired the other girl's courage, tenacity, and overall _goodness_. Though Lusamine had never told her anything about romantic attraction – God knows how _that_ awkward conversation would've been – Lillie was certain that at the very least, she had a crush on Alola's five year reigning champion.

With a resolve she hadn't truly felt since she made the decision to leave for Kanto five years ago, Lillie turned to Gladion. The first step in getting what you want was to let someone else know of your desires.

After all, that's what she had done when she wanted to go to Kanto.

Based on the look on Gladion's face, she figured that he had something of similar importance to tell her.

"I have to tell you something…"

"Look, there's this girl…"

Both Lillie and Gladion paused, blinking at each other in disbelief. Is _this_ what people were talking about when they said that siblings practically thought along the same lines?

Gladion gruffly cleared his throat while Lillie ran a hand through her own hair, a nervous tick she was sure she had gotten rid of _at least_ two years ago.

"You first."

"I'll wait."

Again, the siblings paused. This was going _nowhere_.

"Okay, how about this." Lillie started, holding her hands steadily in front of her so that Gladion wouldn't notice them shaking, "Let's say whatever it is we have to tell each other at the same time. Keep it short so we can hear one another?"

Gladion nodded and Lillie breathed a sigh of relief. Even after all these years, she still wasn't used to the idea of giving commands, or even general suggestions. She was just glad that Gladion went along with it.

"1…2…3." Lillie counted down before taking a deep inhale.

 _Here goes..._

"I like Moon!"

When the siblings had finished their confessions, they stared at one another in disbelief. They had said the _same_ words in sync. No room for misunderstanding.

 _They both liked Moon._

As Lillie allowed herself to digest her brother's words, – the very same words she had just uttered – Gladion struck a pose, the same pose he would use every time he challenged someone to a Pokémon battle. Except this time, he was staring defiantly at _her_ , not summoning his Pokémon.

"Well, you can't like her," Gladion sniffed haughtily, staring Lillie down with his green eyes narrowed in ire, "because _I_ like her and I'm _not_ sharing."

Lillie sputtered indignantly. How _dare_ Gladion insinuate that _she_ was supposed to be the one to give up her crush. Had this been five years ago, the old Lillie would've submitted to Gladion's will, too meek and mild to do anything but sulk in the shadows as Gladion set his efforts to wooing Moon.

This wasn't five years ago.

As such, Lillie crossed her arms over her chest and stared Gladion down defiantly. If he was startled by her posture, he only showed it with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are?" she demanded, moving her hands to place them on her hips, "If you think that just because you're older and have always been the _alpha male_ ever since dad went through that ultra-wormhole that you can just tell _me_ that I can't like her, you have another thing coming mister!"

Gladion blinked at her in surprise.

"But you always get _everything_ you want." Gladion moaned in mock despair, "You've always been everyone's favorite!"

Lillie snorted.

"Since _when_?"

Gladion huffed his impatience.

"You became the Kanto champion."

"You left me alone with Mother. _Mother_."

"You have friends."

" _You're_ the one who chose to join Team Skull instead of making _decent_ friends."

"Hau already likes you. Can't you be satisfied with that?"

Lillie rolled her eyes. Hau had cleared this up with her _years_ ago. It had been a small crush, and he had long since gotten over her.

"If that's your best defense, you have nothing, Gladion." Lillie said haughtily, the confidence she had gained over the past five years rolling off of her in waves, "How about a Pokémon battle to settle this?"

Gladion – if it was even possible – turned whiter than a sheet at Lillie's suggestion. He tried to make up for his momentary lapse in composure by looking away from her, but Lillie _knew_ him, no matter how much he tried to deny that fact.

"We don't have to go quite that far little sister." Gladion suddenly regained his composure, a bright gleam in his green eyes, "How about a deal?"

Lillie's eyes narrowed. Even when they were children, Gladion's _deals_ never boded well for her. Gladion would _never_ make a deal unless he knew that he was at an advantage.

"What _kind_ of deal?"

Gladion rolled his eyes mockingly, courteously taking one of Lillie's bags from her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, a grin donning his features.

"We both try to woo her." Gladion suggested, nodding his head at his own idea. He seemed to think it was brilliant, whatever he was plotting in his head, "Whoever she takes more of a liking to gets to try and date her."

Lillie wanted desperately to tell him _no_. That his idea was impossibly foolish and that it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. That there was absolutely no way that she would ever agree to something so asinine.

"You're on!"


	2. Choosing Sides

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, favorited, or even just clicked on the story! It means a lot, and I'm glad that you all are enjoying it. Without further ado, chapter 2!**

 **Hau's POV**

Hau would be lying if he said he didn't feel a thrill run up his spine when he saw Lillie walk into Kukui's lab, Gladion by her side. The small crush he had on her a few years ago had dissipated to a deep feeling of platonic fondness, but that didn't mean he wasn't glad to see her.

With a broad grin on his face, Hau ran up to Lillie, bypassing Gladion completely as he lifted her off of her feet in a hug.

"Lillie!" he cried gleefully, swinging her back and forth as she banged on his back with playful protest, "Welcome home cousin!"

"Hau," Lillie gasped between laughs, "put me down!"

Rolling his eyes, he acquiesced, taking a step back to take a proper look at Lillie. She had certainly grown quite a bit since the last time he had seen her. She was taller now – not quite as tall as him – but definitely tall enough that he was at eye level with her. Where she had left with an innocent girlish figure five years ago, she now showed the signs of filling out into a more mature woman.

"You've gotta tell me _all_ about Kanto!" Hau exclaimed, pacing back and forth as Lillie shook her head at his antics, "I wanna know what kind of Pokémon are over there, what it's like to be the champion – oh yeah! Did I tell you I'm a kahuna now? Funny story. I was –"

"Lillie."

The voice was quiet, hardly more than a whisper, but there was only one person who could silence Hau's rants with a single, softly uttered word.

 _Moon_

In hindsight, Moon had matured just as much as Lillie did over the past five years. Whereas she was shorter than Lillie five years ago, she was now more on par with Hau, just slighter taller than Lillie. The lines of her face had grown sharper, adding to the serious countenance she had always possessed, but Hau thought it made her look cooler.

Hau took note of the way Lillie's eye lit up and how her smile became softer, as if she were looking at the most beautiful malasada she had ever seen. He was the first to admit that he wasn't always the brightest person – especially when compared to the company he surrounded himself with – but he was certain that something fairly interesting was going on here, and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

As Lillie hugged Moon tightly, her eyes fluttering shut, Hau noticed the way Gladion's eyes narrowed. He seemed irate for some reason and as Lillie's eyes opened, she immediately made eye-contact with Gladion, giving him a smug smirk. Hau blinked.

 _What was that about?_

"I'm so happy to see you, Moon." Lillie's words were just as soft as Moon's, though with her words, there appeared to be an underlying meaning.

"Why don't we get to the food?" Gladion interrupted, gesturing his hands wildly towards the round table with food adorning it, "I'm sure Lillie's very –"

Gladion was cut off by the sound of growls coming from Moon's Bewear. The lovable bear Pokémon was huddled close to Lillie's feet and seemed agitated by Gladion's presence. His eyes widened in shock and Hau had to stifle a laugh. He wouldn't admit it to anyone other than Lillie and Moon, but there was always something distinctly amusing to him about seeing Gladion scared.

"Be nice, Bewear." Lillie murmured as the loyal bear Pokémon returned to Moon's side, her lips twitching up in the slightest, "Gladion's always been impatient when he doesn't get what he wants."

As Gladion scowled at Lillie's jest, Hau blinked in surprise. _What was going on here?_

Before he could talk to Lillie one-one-one, Kukui strode up to the small group, engulfing Lillie in a warm embrace.

"Alola cousin!" Kukui grinned as he pulled back, making space for Burnett to hug Lillie, "Welcome _home_. You can tell us all about Kanto later. For now, we've prepared a feast worthy of the champions for you. Convenient now, considering who you've become in the last five years."

Lillie smiled gratefully, along herself to be swept off by Kukui, who led her to the refreshments table. Her features become bright once more as her eyes set upon Lunala, who escaped its Poke Ball once Lillie entered the room.

"Nebby!" Lillie exclaimed gleefully, prompting a smile to come to Hau's face. He pretended to wipe a tear away at the heartfelt reunion.

As Gladion sulked behind the three, a deep frown on his face every time Moon laughed at something Lillie said, Hau put two and two together.

 _Gladion liked Moon._

An eager grin overtook Hau's features at the revelation. Leave it to sulky Gladion to catch feelings for the tall, dark, and gorgeous Alolan champion. This was going to get very interesting.

"Hau, cousin, you haven't touched a malasada!" Kukui was holding up the most beautiful malasada that Hau had ever seen, a knowing smile on his face as Hau's mouth began to water, "This one has your name on it!"

Hau rushed over to Kukui, swiping the malasada out of his hand and immediately bringing it up to eye-level. Never had he seen something so beautiful, so pure…aside from Lillie of course, but _those feelings_ were long gone.

Just as he brought the treat up to his mouth, preparing to have an experience that was out of this world, Hau felt a strong gust of wind, almost knocking him off of his feet. As he steadied himself, he was horrified to realize that his malasada was missing!

 _No!_

"My malasada!" Hau cried out in despair as his friends around him laughed at his plight, "Why're you all laughing?! My beautiful malasada has been…"

He cut his rant off when his gaze met Lillie's. The blonde was trying in vain to hold back laughter by covering her mouth with a hand, her other hand pointing to something behind Hau.

Hau swiftly turned around, ready to unleash a rant on the entity that had stolen his malasada when he stopped abruptly, his jaw going slack. There behind him, one wing stretched out in a defensive mode and the other wing balancing his malasada, was Moon's Decidueye. Sensing that it had gotten Hau's attention, the Decidueye downed the malasada in one go, a pleased sound exiting its throat as it engulfed the treat.

"Decidueye!" Hau whined, reaching over to ruffle the bird Pokémon's feathers, "That was _my_ malasada! I would've shared if you just asked."

"Um, Hau." Lillie's voice indicated that she was still trying to hold back her laughter, "Pokémon can't…"

"I know that!" Hau grumbled as everyone continued laughing at him. Even _Gladion_ had cracked a smile at the debacle, "Just let me keep my dignity, will you?"

Lillie gave him a sympathetic smile before turning back to Moon. Her eyes seemed brighter somehow as she talked to the Alolan champion. Though he could never read Moon, Hau prided himself on knowing Lillie very well, and something was up. Something that he'd have to thoroughly interrogate her on.

He suddenly felt another gust of wind and heard Decidueye let out a cry. He turned around, ready to lament about his lost malasada before he looked carefully at Decidueye.

The Pokémon had a single wing outstretched, holding another malasada where the previous one had been. It appeared to be Decidueye's peace offering.

"Oh Decidueye, I could never be mad at you for long." Hau grinned, accepting the offered treat. He definitely had a lot of questions for Lillie, but for now, the malasada had to come first.

* * *

It had taken a few hours, but Hau had _finally_ gotten Lillie alone. He had taken her outside to talk to her, but it had taken _a lot_ of work to drag her away from Moon.

"Hau, what's going on?" Lillie cut straight to the chase. It was nice to see that after five years, Lillie hadn't changed too radically, "Are you not enjoying the party?"

Hau didn't like the look of concern he was getting. Why was it that every time he was serious, everyone assumed that something was _wrong_?

Hau shook this thought off and gave Lillie his signature grin.

"Nothing's wrong Lills." He insisted, leaning casually against a conveniently placed lamppost, "I just want to talk to you. How've you been?"

His question must've thrown Lillie off, as he received a raised eyebrow in response.

"Everything's fine Hau." She answered carefully, – too carefully – "I'm just really happy to see every –"

"What's going on with you, Gladion, and Moon?!" Hau blurted out, internally wincing at the desperation of his own voice.

' _So much for being a smooth operator_.' Hau mentally scolded himself.

Lillie blinked at him, but Hau didn't miss the slight look of nervousness that passed through Lillie's eyes.

"Wha…what do you mean?" Lillie stammered. Unlike Hau, she visibly cringed as she seemed to be internally beating herself up for not sounding as confident as she would've liked.

"Every time Gladion sees you and Moon talking, he gets this weird look on his face…like he's jealous or –" Hau began.

"What does this have to do with me?" Lillie interrupted abruptly. Her eyes were slightly wide, her cheeks slightly flushed, but all in all, she seemed determined not to crack.

"And every time you're around Moon, your eyes light up. As if she's the best thing you'd ever laid eyes one." Hau continued before he let out an almost inaudible gasp. It suddenly clicked to him.

 _Lillie liked Moon too_.

"I don't know what you're –"

"Lillie, please don't lie to me." Hau said quietly, "I'm your _friend_. I'm on your side here."

Lillie took a deep breath, looking away from him for a short while before turning back to him, her eyes sparkling in earnest.

"I like Moon." Her tone was a whisper, but Hau heard her all the same.

Hau nodded to himself. He was making progress.

"That's good." Hau heard himself saying, "I already knew that, but it's good to hear you admit it."

"But how did you know?" Lillie started before seeing the grin on his face, "And don't you _dare_ make a pun with your name!"

Hau raised his hands in surrender as he gave her a sincere smile. He should've know that Lillie would demand answers from him too.

"It was simple really." Hau allowed nonchalantly, his eyes soft as he stared at Lillie, "You look at her the way I used to look at _you_."

The mood between them instantly became somber. Lillie looked guilty, opening her mouth to say something before Hau cut her off.

"Don't even worry about it, Lills." Hau's voice was chipper again as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "I've had time to come to terms with everything and _I'm okay_. I've moved on. I didn't lie to you in my letter when I said that I'd moved on."

"Hau –"

" _Enough_ , Lillie." Hau stressed. He didn't like it when any of his friends worried, "Enough about me. What we need to worry about is how we get you and Moon together."

Lillie still had doubt swimming in her beautiful green eyes.

"Why're you so involved in this?"

"You guys are my best friends." Hau grinned, his playful demeanor back, "If there's anyone I'd third wheel around with, it's you guys."

Hau paused as Lillie rolled her eyes.

"Though, Acerola and I would love to have a double date with you guys once you get together."

Lillie's eyes widened.

"Wait, you and _Acerola_?" Her tone was slightly incredulous, "You didn't mention _that_ in your letters! Hau!"

Hau rolled his eyes.

"I'll tell you all about it later." He promised, "But for now, let the Hau-ster work his magic as your very own wingman!"

Lillie raised an eyebrow.

"The _Hau-ster_?"

"Hey! Don't make fun of the guy who's helping you get the girl." Hau laughed, "Gladion will _kill_ me if he finds out I'm picking sides."

Lillie chuckled in agreement.

"So, do we have a deal?" Hau asked as he extended a hand, "You'll trust me wholeheartedly? You won't question my methods, and you'll make me the godfather of your future children?"

At the last part, Lillie turned bright red as she slapped Hau on the arm.

"Ow!"

"You goofball!" Lillie couldn't help smiling, but nevertheless, she shook his hand, "You have a deal."

Hau jumped into the air dramatically and struck the pose he made anytime he challenged someone to a Pokémon battle before engulfing Lillie in a tight hug.

"You won't regret this – I promise!" he smiled.

As Lillie laughed into his shoulder, he swore he saw a flash of blond a few steps away, being led by a figure in a black hoodie.

 _Where was Gladion going...and with who?_

Hau resolved not to get involved in that, focusing only on his plan to get Lillie and Moon together.

* * *

 **Gladion's POV**

As Lillie was escorted out of the lab by Hau, leaving Moon alone for the first time since she had made her appearance a few hours ago, Gladion scowled. His _darling_ little sister had been hogging Moon the _entire_ day and it wasn't fair! When he had suggested that they both try and woo Moon, Gladion hadn't meant that Lillie should hog the Alolan champion for so long. That was _Gladion's_ job!"

Nevertheless, Moon was finally alone and Gladion was determined to talk to her.

He walked over to the chair she was currently sitting in and sat next to her, flashing her his most charming smile. Thankfully, Moon's Bewear was nowhere to be found. He didn't want to be embarrassed in front of Moon _again_.

"Uh, Gladion, are you okay?" Moon's tone was sincere, and Gladion refused to acknowledge the butterflies that had erupted in his stomach, "You have this weird look on your face."

Gladion could feel his cheeks reddening and could practically _see_ Lillie's smug expression in his mind's eye.

' _Real smooth, Gladion._ ' He heard her saying.

"I'm fine, everything's cool." Gladion attempted to sound in control of his emotions, forcing his features into an indifferent one, "So, how's the weather?"

Moon blinked at him and Gladion resisted the urge to face-palm.

 _How's the weather? Idiot!_

Moon's rotomdex suddenly came to life as Gladion was mentally beating himself up.

"Earth to Moon." The rotomdex was saying, "Don't you see what's going on here?"

If looks could kill, that rotomdex would've shorted out due to the irate look on Gladion's face.

"What do you mean?" Moon was adorable when she was confused.

' _Ugh, adorable?'_ Gladion scolded himself, ' _What are you?_ _ **Lillie**_ _? What kind of word is_ _ **adorable**_ _?'_

The rotomdex sighed dramatically.

"Well if you can't sense the _obvious_ here," The rotomdex started before sighing dramatically once more, "who am I to help you? It's not like you've ever listened to me before. You're always speeding up my dialogue. Don't think I haven't noticed!"

Moon's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Rotom, I didn't mean –"

" _Rotom, I didn't mean_." The rotomdex mimicked before shutting itself off, not before emitting a quiet, "Love makes people idiots."

Gladion refrained from placing his head in his hands. Moon _had_ to know the extent of his feelings by now.

"Moon, I –" Gladion began before Moon raised a hand to stop him.

"It's okay, Gladion. You don't have to say anything. This isn't your fault." Moon was smiling serenely at him.

Gladion blinked at her. She returned his feelings?

"Rotom is just feeling a bit lonely. I guess I _have_ been neglecting her a bit." Moon was saying. _Wait, what?_ "She thinks I've found someone to replace her."

 _Was this girl kidding?_

Gladion held himself back from shaking Moon really hard. The girl couldn't be _that_ dense…could she?

"Hey Gladion." Moon was waving a hand in front of his face, "There's someone in front of the lab who's been calling to you."

Gladion turned to look at the lab entrance and was met with the sight of a figure – obviously a woman by her stature – beckoning at him with rapid waving. He stood up and made to go over to her, glad for the opportunity to clear his head from his failed attempt at talking to Moon _properly_.

"Do you want me to go with you Gladion?" Moon offered.

Gladion puffed his chest out. The _last_ thing he needed was for Moon to feel like she had to protect him.

"I've got it." Was all he said before he made his way over to the hooded figure.

He was barely outside of the lab before the figure snatched him away, gliding effortlessly and silently past Hau and Lillie, who were engaged in hushed whispers outside of the lab.

When it became clear that the two were alone, the figure took off her hood, revealing Gladion and Lillie's mother – _Lusamine_.

" _Mother_?" Gladion spluttered. The last he had heard about her, she was getting treated at some healthcare facility in Kanto.

Lusamine rolled her eyes.

"Who else?" Lusamine cooed, cupping both of Gladion's cheeks in her hands, "My beautiful baby boy, I've come to help you."

Gladion's eyes narrowed. The last time Lusamine offered to _help_ him, he ended up having to escape from Aether as a young boy.

"Help me _how_?"

Lusamine rolled her eyes at Gladion's moody tone.

"You are in love with Alola's champion. So is Lillie." Lusamine shrugged, managing not to move Gladion's face with her movements, "I want you – _not Lillie_ – to end up with her."

Gladion raised an eyebrow. Why did she want to help him?

"What's in it for you?"

A dark look crossed Lusamine's face as she brought Gladion's face closer to hers, her eyes crazed. After a few seconds, the crazed look disappeared and was replaced with an almost maternal one.

"That _girl_ corrupted my baby girl." Lusamine's voice was eerily quiet, "I _won't_ allow her to corrupt her innocence anymore."

Gladion snorted. He hardly thought that Lillie would appreciate Lusamine's line of thinking.

"Is this your way of getting revenge for what happened five years ago?" Gladion asked carefully. He had been told by doctors in Kanto that it probably wouldn't be the best thing to bring up the past to Lusamine, but Gladion couldn't help his curiosity.

Lusamine abruptly let go of Gladion's cheeks as she snorted. Gladion resisted the urge to snicker. He had _never_ heard such an undignified sound come out of Lusamine, and never thought he'd live to see the day.

"Oh please." She scoffed, her green eyes bright and animated, "I'm _over_ what happened. I just think it would be interesting to pit the two of you against each other."

Lusamine paused.

"For _fun_ , of course." Lusamine was nothing if not brutally honest, "If you really think that that malasada boy isn't on Lillie's side, my son, you have another thing coming."

When Gladion stopped to think about it, it made sense that if it came to choosing sides, Hau would be on Lillie's.

"Besides, you want to _win_ , don't you?" Lusamine simpered, wrapping an arm around Gladion's shoulders, "Think about it. Years from now, this can be such a nice story to tell to your children."

Gladion rolled his eyes. _Of course_ Lusamine was thinking about grandchildren. Growing up, Gladion had always heard Lusamine fawn over what beautiful grandchildren she'd have one day.

"Either way." Lusamine was saying, "The Alolan champion will become my daughter-in-law. It doesn't really matter to me whether you or your sister wins. I'm just trying to be a decent mother for once."

To Gladion, Lusamine's voice sounded sincere…as sincere as Lusamine could get. His years of experience with her told him that he should reject her offer. That he should work by _himself_ to try and woo Moon. Nevertheless, Gladion never learned.

"Welcome to my side mother."


	3. You Want Me to Do What?

**A/N: For the sake of this story, Moon's mom's name will be Aurora.**

 **Lillie's POV**

"You want me to do _what_?" Lillie exclaimed to Hau in horror. He couldn't be serious, could he?

Hau nodded sagely, hands folded calmly in front of him as he leaned across the table from Lillie. They were in Hau's house and the latter seemed to be deep in thought, but the mischief in his chocolate eyes belied his intentions.

"It's simple, Lills, really." Hau smiled innocently, his eyes twinkling madly, "To get the girl, you have to _seduce_ her."

Lillie tried desperately not to let a blush creep onto her cheeks. The meek and mild girl from five years ago was practically gone, but she couldn't help but feel awfully bashful at what Hau was suggesting.

" _Hau_." Lillie cringed at how whiny she sounded, "I can't just… _seduce Moon_."

The end of her words had lowered to a whisper. The thought of such a thing was so scandalous to Lillie. She could hardly believe that he was suggesting this to her. Lillie could do a lot of things, but _seduction_ was something completely out of the question.

"Why not?" Hau shrugged, leaning even closer to Lillie over the table, "You're not…scared, are you?"

The smirk on his face insinuated that regardless of anything Lillie would say, he already had his impression.

"I'm not a seductress, Hau." Lillie insisted, "I'm calm. Collected, and –"

"One of the hottest people I know." Hau finished bluntly. At Lillie's sharp glare, Hau raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright! Not what you wanted to hear. I'm totally flexible, but this is something you _have_ to do. Every successful love story begins with seduction."

Lillie rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe how sure of himself Hau sounded.

"Says who?"

Hau grinned, and Lillie immediately regretted asking him. If she had learned anything in the week since she had been back in Alola, it was that age had made Hau even _more_ provocative than she remembered.

"Well, when Acerola and I first got together –" Hau began before Lillie covered her ears abruptly. She didn't want to hear this.

" _Hau!"_

Hau burst out laughing, so hard that he fell out of his seat. As Lillie continued to glare at him, streams of tears left Hau's eyes from how hard he was laughing.

"I'm keeping it PG, Lills, I swear." He managed between guffaws, leaning up to sit on his knees on the floor, looking at Lillie before laughing a bit more, "I'm sorry."

Within a few minutes, Hau began to calm down, rubbing the remnants of tears away from his eyes. Lillie crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Hau. This _wasn't_ funny.

"Are you done?" she frowned.

Hau nodded earnestly. His eyes were still glinting with mischief, but he had reigned in his laughter fully by this point.

"Alright, as I was saying." Hau began once more, "When I first got together with Acerola –"

Lillie braced herself for information that she probably didn't want to hear.

"I was in your position. Nervous. Flighty. Innocent." Hau was now pacing around, his hands behind him like some sort of professor giving a lecture, "So, being the easygoing person I am, I decided that the best way to woo her – seeing as my smile wasn't enough at the time – was to show some skin. Show her the perfect abs of the Hau-ster."

At this, Lillie raised an eyebrow. _What abs?_

Before Hau could further explain, Acerola showed up unannounced in the room, her eyebrows raised in incredulity. Hau immediately stopped pacing, engulfing the smaller girl into a tight hug. Her lips tugged up into a sincere smile and she hugged Hau back in return, and Lillie felt the inner romantic in her collapse in admiration. They were _so_ sweet.

Just as the thought appeared in Lillie's mind, Acerola pulled back and flicked Hau in the back of his head, grinning sweetly as Hau winced. A loud laugh escaped Lillie before she could cover her mouth.

"Don't listen to him, Lillie." Acerola took the seat that Hau was previously occupying and levelled Lillie with a faux serious look, "He most definitely did _not_ seduce me."

"Then how did you two get together?" Lillie pondered aloud. Five years ago, Lillie couldn't see the purple haired girl and Hau together, but seeing how affectionate they were with one another today, it made sense. She was just interested in the story.

Acerola smiled, a wicked glint in her purple eyes as Hau gesticulated wildly, silently begging her not to tell the story.

"Long story short," Acerola started dramatically, "Hau has always been a man of great action. One hot summer day a year ago, we were all on the beach in Melemele Island when Hau said – and I quote – ' _Acerola, lemme strip for you_.' He took off his shirt, but in his haste, pulled the string on his shorts loose."

Acerola paused, grinning as a smile appeared on Lillie's face as Hau begged her not to continue.

"Acerola, _please_ –"

"I saw _everything_ that day." Acerola finished proudly, "And I mean _everything_. That's when I knew I'd want to be with my Hau bear."

Hau grumbled to himself as Lillie erupted in laughter.

"It's not _that_ funny." Hau murmured quietly, crossing his arms over his chest as Acerola gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, "And it _didn't_ happen exactly like that, Ace."

Acerola shrugged, wrapping her arms around Hau's torso from behind. It was kind of cute to see how easily she fit around him.

"Nothing's wrong with a little embellishment, darling." Acerola grinned before turning to Lillie, the eager glint in her eyes making Lillie feel a sense of dread, "Hau's right though. Seduction helps a lot. It'll be sure to have Moon…well… _over the moon_."

As Acerola chuckled at her own pun, Lillie clamped her hands over her face.

 _What was she gonna_ _ **do**_ _?_

* * *

 **Gladion's POV**

"You want me to do _what_?" Gladion's voice took on a high pitch that he hadn't heard since he first entered puberty, "Mother, I don't think –"

Lusamine hushed Gladion's rant with a wave of her hand. Even after all this time, her presence was still somewhat domineering. They were currently in Gladion's small home in Iki Town – he had moved there shortly after all the drama that happened with Teams Aether and Skull five years ago – and he had invited his mother over to further discuss ways to win over Moon. What he didn't expect, however, was for Lusamine to be so… _suggestive_ with her ideas.

"Seduction is the key to all you could possibly want in life." Lusamine insisted, the gleam in her eyes far too amused for Gladion's liking, "When Mohn and I just met –"

Gladion cringed outwardly. He _really_ wasn't interested in hearing the more intimate tale of how his parents got together.

"Listen first before you judge, Gladion." Lusamine sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest in a manner that insinuated her desire for Gladion's full attention, "When your father and I just met, he was so interested in his science stuff. No matter how much I tried to get his attention, he was always so focused on his research."

Gladion exhaled a breath that he didn't know he was holding. This story didn't sound _too_ bad so far.

"So one day, I decided to _become_ science." Lusamine declared proudly.

Gladion stared at her incredulously. _Become science?_

"I dressed up in his lab coat and waited for him in his house." Lusamine continued, a small smile on her face in reminiscence, "After that day, I just _knew_ I'd gotten him."

"What's so special about a lab coat?" Gladion blurted out. He'd seen his mother in a lab coat at least twice during his time at Aether, and nothing really impressed him about it.

The way Lusamine smiled in response to his question made him wish that he never asked.

"I was in his lab coat," Lusamine paused, her smile giving way to the smirk that Gladion was becoming more accustomed to, "and _nothing else_."

Gladion's nose scrunched up and he began to feel sick. This was _not_ helping him in his endeavor to gain Moon's affections.

"Don't be such a prude, Gladion." Lusamine chided him with a roll of her eyes, "Now take off your shirt. I need to know what I'm working with here. I need to know how much work has to be done."

As Gladion took off his shirt, cringing as Lusamine judged him silently, he began to rethink his decision to let his mother help him.

* * *

 **Aurora's / Moon's Mom's POV**

To say that she was surprised when she saw Lillie and Gladion in her home, each on the opposing side of Moon, would be a lie. She had always had the distinct feeling that both blondes had some semblance of romantic feelings for her daughter, Moon.

It was a different story, however, when she considered her daughter's reaction to the siblings.

Aurora couldn't believe that someone related to her could be so… _dense_. Gladion was practically flexing his muscles for her, yet Moon showed no signs of realizing his efforts.

What _did_ surprise her was how… _underdressed_ Lillie was. The blonde girl was laying on her back on a beach chair, reclining in a way that allowed her fairly short tank top to rise up, exposing her midriff. Every so often, Aurora would see Lillie make eye contact with Hau, her facial expression nervous as the malasada-loving boy gave her a thumbs up in return. Moon's rotomdex couldn't be any more obvious with its comments.

"I can't believe you think that…never mind." Aurora heard the rotomdex sigh, "Power me up again when you can see what I see. You can't be _that_ dense. You're the Alolan _champion_ for Alola's sake!"

As Moon tried in vain to apologize to the rotomdex, Aurora chuckled softly to herself. Her child was _something else_.

"Fun day, don't you think?"

The familiar voice startled Aurora and as she turned around, she was met with vibrant green eyes.

 _Lusamine_

Aurora hadn't seen Mohn's wife since around the time Moon was born. Anyone who had known Professor Mohn was _bound_ to know his eccentric, perfection-obsessed wife.

"Lusamine, what are you –"

Lusamine hushed Aurora with a finger to her lips, gesturing for her to keep her voice down.

"Long time no see, old friend." Lusamine's smile was kinder than she had remembered, but that may very well be a ruse. She recalled Moon telling her about all the cruel things Lusamine had let her children endure for the sake of greed, "Looks like we'll be in-laws, no?"

At this, Aurora raised an eyebrow. _Sure_ , she had briefly entertained the thought of Moon falling for one of Lusamine's children, but she _certainly_ didn't think so far into the future. They were only sixteen (eighteen in Gladion's case) after all!

"Lusamine." Aurora started gently, her tone calm so as not to set off the potentially fragile woman, "Don't you think it's a bit too… _soon_ to start contemplating marriage?"

Aurora had barely finished her statement before a frantic look came over Lusamine's face. The blonde woman retreated quickly into the kitchen area, leaving Aurora no choice but to follow her. Once there, Lusamine began wildly pacing back and forth, muttering a few words under her breath with an intensity that almost scared Aurora.

"Lusamine, I –" Aurora started but cut herself off as Lusamine abruptly ceased her frantic pacing.

The blonde woman strode up to Aurora and stopped just in front of her, so close that she could smell the sickly-sweet fragrance that she wore.

"You listen to _me_ , Aurora." Lusamine's voice was low and her green eyes were alight in partial madness, "I _will_ have my perfect grandchildren! Do you understand?"

Aurora could only blink at her in confusion. _Grandchildren?_

"I could care less which one of my children ends up with your daft daughter." Lusamine continued, "Alola's accepting. Same sex marriage shouldn't be a problem, and I'm sure there's _some_ way they can have children. Now if _Gladion_ gets with Moon, that's a different story –"

"My daughter is _not_ daft –"

"The _only_ thing that matters is your daughter's _status_." Lusamine finished, her hands tightly grasping Aurora's shoulder as she shook the other woman roughly, "She is the _Alolan champion_. Do you know how much prestige I'll get for being associated with her?"

Aurora removed herself and refrained from laughing in Lusamine's face. This woman was _crazy_.

"And you think that your children will let you…. _wait a minute_." It all suddenly clicked for Aurora, "You're helping _Gladion_ aren't you? And Hau's helping _Lillie_ , isn't he? Is that what this all has been about?"

Lusamine clapped slowly. She'd always been dramatic.

"I'm glad _someone_ in your family isn't slow." Lusamine drawled as she moved towards the front door, "I'll let myself out. In the meanwhile, I want you to think about names for our future grandchildren. I'll let you pick the first name, and I get the rights on the remaining four."

As Lusamine departed, Aurora was left alone in her kitchen. She knew what she had to do. She'd been prolonging this for _far too long_.

She walked over to the screen door leading to the backyard and opened it. She could see Hau grinning wildly and followed his gaze to Lusamine's children. Both Lillie and Gladion were standing in front of Moon, half empty lotion bottles in their hands. Gladion appeared to offering to let Moon lotion him, puffing out his chest proudly. Lillie, on the other hand, seemed to be offering to lotion _Moon_ , gnawing nervously on her bottom lip.

Aurora pursed her lips in amusement.

"Moon." she called out, her lips twitching in amusement as both blondes abruptly dropped their lotion bottles and backed away from Moon, "We need to have a talk."


	4. Revelations

**I know it's been a while since I last updated, but college has been swamping me with work. With spring break coming up, I hope to update more frequently. I definitely haven't forgotten this story, so thanks to all of you who have been reading! Enjoy!**

 **Aurora's POV**

As Aurora ushered Moon into her room, she felt almost amused by the whole situation. Both of _Lusamine's_ children were infatuated with Moon, and seemed to be in a competition of sorts. Somehow, someway, Moon was none the wiser.

"What did you want to talk about, mom?" Moon's soft voice brought Aurora out of her reverie.

Aurora cracked her fingers and picked up two objects that she kept by her bedroom dresser for occasions just like this one.

 _A banana and two peaches_

In this instance, she wouldn't need to bring out the second banana, for _obvious_ reasons.

"Do you know what these are?" Aurora would start off slowly, gauging Moon's knowledge on the subject.

Moon blinked and raised an eyebrow, pointing at the fruits in Aurora's hand.

"Two peaches and a banana, mom." Moon stated as if it were the easiest thing in the world, "What about them?"

A loud sigh from Moon's rotomdex almost made Aurora lose her composure.

 _Almost_

"Sometimes, in life…" Aurora began, pausing as she looked intently at the blank expressions on Moon's face, "Perhaps you should be taking notes, darling. These things can be hard to understand for beginners."

Moon shrugged, leaving the room briefly to retrieve a notepad and a pen before returning, sitting next to her mother on the bed.

"Ready!" Moon gave Aurora a wide smile, so the latter felt compelled to continue.

With a dramatic clearing of her throat, Aurora started over.

"Like we've already established, in my hands, I'm holding two peaches and a single banana." Aurora reiterated, watching in slight amusement as she watched Moon scribble notes furiously into her notepad, "Most times in life, peaches prove to be more… _compatible_ with bananas."

For demonstration, Aurora took the banana and rammed it into one of the peaches, refraining from cringing as the juices from the peach dripped down her hand. Moon, nodding her head in understanding, continued taking her notes.

"Now, other times," Aurora stated, "peaches find that they're more compatible with peaches, even though the norm is peaches and bananas."

Aurora abruptly threw the banana behind her and smashed the two peaches together, creating even more of a mess. The rotomdex squealed in protest and turned itself off.

"Are you getting that so far?" Aurora asked Moon. She needed to be sure that Moon understood everything thus far before she complicated things.

Moon looked over her notes for a short while before nodding.

"Alrighty then." Aurora stared Moon straight in the eyes, "In life, sometimes peaches and bananas are blonde siblings who are the children of Satan herself. Sometimes, these blonde fruits fight over the Moon in a way that makes little to no sense to anyone else, but I'm here to tell you that none of it matters to me. As long as the Moon is happy, I'm happy. Do you understand?"

Moon scribbled down a few more notes before staring at her mother once more.

"Peaches can be compatible with peaches or bananas." Moon repeated dutifully, "Fruits can be blonde and spawns of a female Satan, and you're happy with whichever blonde the Moon goes for. Did I get it all?"

"Yes!" Aurora exclaimed, hugging her daughter closely before pulling back to look back at her once more, "So what do you make of that little analogy of mine?"

The confused look on Moon's face made Aurora's hope sink deep into her stomach.

"It's a fun story," Moon started slowly, pausing shortly before continuing, "but why'd you personify fruits? Is there something bigger you're trying to tell me here?"

Aurora fell back onto her bed, clasped her forehead, and let out a deep sigh.

 _This was going to be a long day._

* * *

 **Lusamine's POV**

Having children could be a very rewarding experience. Having children who were love-struck fools was even more rewarding.

As she stood in the bushes and watched her children argue over who should get the _privilege_ of courting Moon, she chuckled softly to herself. It was so comforting to know that she'd have grandchildren with the blood of the Alolan champion running through their veins. Sure, she'd let Aurora choose the names for the first child, but she had custody of the remaining four choices.

"Lusamine?"

Lusamine was brought out of her reverie by the sound of the malasada boy's – Hau's – voice. He'd managed to sneak up on her while she was thinking about how she'd raise her grandchildren in her perfect image.

"What is it child?" Lusamine snapped, "Don't you see I'm busy planning my grandchildren's futures?"

Hau raised an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms. The look on his face was one that Lusamine had seen many times of the faces of many people. The _you're crazy lady look_. Lusamine resolved not to let it get to her.

" _Hau_." Hau corrected, "What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be in an asylum…far, far away from here?"

Lusamine snorted.

"As if any institution could contain _me_." She sneered, "Now would you like to tell me why you're trying to get my daughter to be romantically involved with the one you call _Moon_?"

Hau looked as if he were struggling to contain his laughter, and Lusamine immediately felt indignance. How _dare_ this boy be amused by her!

"Because they're obviously meant to be together." He said it as if it were the most obvious fact in the world. Right next to Lusamine being perfect, "Would _you_ care to tell me why you're helping Gladion get with Moon?"

Lusamine was briefly taken aback before she composed her features. She wouldn't give this insufferable boy the pleasure of seeing her caught off guard.

"I don't have to explain anything to you." Lusamine frowned, her tone low, "Don't presume that we're on the same level."

Hau raised his hands in surrender and Lusamine felt as if she were being patronized.

"You're right, you don't have to explain anything to me." He shrugged, moving so he was standing directly in front of her, "But just know _this_. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that Lillie and Moon end up happily ever after and all that other sappy crap that happens in fairytales."

He paused.

"Because they _deserve_ each other." Hau finished quietly, "I owe it to them to at least give them a fighting chance…and you do too."

With that, he walked away, leaving Lusamine with a lot to think about.

* * *

 **Rotomdex's POV**

Rotomdex had never met anyone as dense as Moon in its entire life. She had been exposed to many people throughout her short lifetime, but she had never seen anyone as unable to pick up on social cues as Moon.

She thought that all the signs were pretty obvious. Lillie and Gladion were practically _throwing themselves_ at Moon (Gladion more so than Lillie), yet Rotomdex's dense trainer couldn't take a hint. It was sad to see such a talented trainer be so… _unaware_. It was for this reason that Rotomdex slipped herself off of Moon's wrist and called a meeting between some of the most important non-humans in Moon's life – Decidueye, Bewear, Lunala, and of course, Rotomdex herself.

"I have called this meeting in order to address a grave concern of mine." Rotomdex started. The meeting was taking place in the backyard of Moon's house, away from the potentially prying ears of the humans, "Moon's density."

The Pokémon growled their assent. Decidueye raised a wing.

"This density has gone on for far too long." Decidueye chirped. It was a good thing that all parties present could understand one another, despite their varying dialects, "As a Pokémon that has been with Moon since day one, I know that she has the potential to be great. She's just been…"

"Stupid? Lackadaisical?" Bewear suggested in a growl, licking gently at one of its paws, "Completely unaware of the important things in li…"

"Hold it!" Decidueye screeched. The humans – Lillie, Gladion, and Hau – glanced briefly in their direction before turning away, probably assuming that they were just being normal Pokémon, "No bashing of the trainer! She's dense, but she still chose us. Show some respect fluffy."

Bewear rolled its eyes, grumbling something to itself about birds being _peckish_ before turning its attention back to Rotomdex.

"You were saying?"

Rotomdex cleared its digital throat. They were getting off topic.

"We need a plan. A _good one_." Rotomdex added as Bewear hastily opened its mouth, shutting it swiftly with her addendum. With that being done, she turned to face Lunala, "Lunala. You've been with Lillie the longest before joining us when she went to Kanto. Is her heart in the right place?"

Lunala lowered its head solemnly, its wings enveloped protectively around itself. Though it was a legendary Pokémon, it still exhibited some of the reserved traits of its former trainer.

"In all my years, I had never seen Lillie care so much for another being as much as she cares about me…until she met Moon." Lunala murmured quietly, "I can _assure_ you all that it is Lillie who deserved to be with Moon. _Not_ Gladion."

There was an awestruck silence after Lunala's words. This was coming from a Pokémon who had seen all of Lillie's raw emotions, some of her greatest accomplishments and personal failures. If anyone knew Lillie, it would be Lunala.

The sound of a wolfish snort broke the group out of their reminiscing. There, strolling up to the group, was Gladion's Type: Null. The cocky Pokémon had an almost human-like smirk on its face.

"That's all really cute sentiment." Type: Null stated arrogantly, "But we all know Gladion'll be the one who ends up with Moon. Especially with Lusamine's involvement."

At the last set of words, Type: Null froze, as if he divulged information that he wasn't supposed to.

"What do you mean _Lusamine's involvement_?" Rotomdex asked slowly.

The air was thick with tension, and Type: Null seemed to realize that as he slowly started to back away.

"Just…don't worry about it." Type Null grumped before stalking off.

The group of remaining Pokémon was left in silence before Bewear broke it.

"That Pokémon's up to something." It growled, "And I don't like it."

If the rest of the Pokémon were honest with themselves, they didn't like it either.

* * *

 **Moon's POV**

Contrary to everyone's belief, Moon wasn't as dense as she appeared to be. _Sure_ , she wasn't the first person to figure out that both Gladion and Lillie liked her, but that didn't mean that she was _completely_ dense.

After the enlightening talk about bananas and peaches with her mom, Moon decided to go meet up with Gladion, Lillie, and Hau. The last she had seen them, Hau was giving Lillie a thumbs up, Gladion was offering to let Moon lotion him, and Lillie was offering to lotion Moon.

As she approached the backyard, her gaze was immediately drawn to the congregation of Pokémon in the corner. She probably wouldn't have thought anything of it had Rotomdex not been straight in the middle of it. She _definitely_ hadn't been missing the shade that Rotomdex had been throwing at her as of late.

Before she fully entered the background, Gladion's voice caught her ear, prompting her to remain hidden.

"Just give it up baby sis." Gladion was saying, "It's obvious that Moon's more into me. Give it a rest."

Moon could imagine Lillie bristling at Gladion's smug tone as her cheeks became enflamed.

" _You_ don't control my life!" Lillie seethed, "If I want to pursue Moon, there's not a _damn_ thing you can do about it. You hear?"

Moon internally clapped for Lillie. Though she didn't generally advocate for sibling rivalry, she was glad to see Lillie standing up for herself.

"I have _mother_ helping me." Moon heard Gladion continue as Type: Null moved to his left side, "You have malasada boy." Moon could hear Hau's indignant yelp at the term of endearment (he hadn't gotten the memo about his nickname), "You have no chance."

"Why you –"

It was at this moment that Moon decided to make her presence known, clearing her throat softly as she entered the backyard. All parties involved turned swiftly towards her as all conversation ceased.

Keeping up her _dense_ pretenses, Moon picked up the lotion bottles that the siblings had dropped earlier.

"I have a better idea." Moon grinned, holding a bottle out to each sibling, "Gladion, _you_ can lotion _me_. Lillie, I'll be a good friend and lotion _you_. How does that sound?"

Moon hadn't expected her words to cause such a dramatic outcome. Blood came from Gladion's nose as he began to babble incoherently and Hau's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Moon –" Hau started before he was interrupted with a loud thud.

Lillie had fainted.


	5. Another Talk

**A/N: Sorry for the almost month long wait. I'm taking a lot of writing intensive classes this semester so while I've wanted to write, I've just been too drained to actually type out the story ideas. Rest assured, I haven't forgotten this story (or any of my others). Enjoy!**

 **Moon's POV**

In hindsight, playing dumb was _really_ fun. If it meant getting Lillie and Gladion to bicker incessantly when they thought she wasn't paying attention, she was all for it. _Sure_ , that's a bit evil, but the good ole saying is true, isn't it?

 _It's always the quiet ones you have to look out for_.

One day in particular, Moon was at Kukui's lab, waiting for Hau while Lillie and Gladion were speaking in hushed tones in the corner. Though Moon could hardly hear their words clearly, she was able to get the gist of it.

"– none of your business _Gladion_." She could hear Lillie huffing.

A snort – having to be from Gladion – echoed throughout the lab.

"As your older brother –" Gladion started before Moon's attention was drawn away from the bickering siblings by Hau.

The malasada lover had a knowing grin on his face, but Moon – for her own amusement – decided to play dumb. This only prompted Hau's grin to get wider.

"The great Alolan champion…" Hau paused for dramatic effect, " _eavesdropping_? I'm shocked!"

Moon rolled her eyes.

"What are they talking about anyways?"

At Moon's question, Hau suddenly took a great interest in his sandals. If Moon hadn't already suspected that Hau was in on the whole "woo Moon" operation, then she certainly did now.

" _Hau_?" Moon asked, her tone a mocking stern.

Hau looked up at Moon, turned to Gladion and Lillie, and back to Moon. He opened his mouth to say something – probably an excuse of sorts – when his jaw dropped in what was an obvious exaggeration.

"Hey, look! It's Lusamine!" he pointed dramatically.

"Yeah right." Moon decided to humor Hau and turn around, surprised to actually see Lusamine standing in the doorway.

By the time Moon turned back to face Hau, the malasada loving boy was cuddled in the arms of Moon's Bewear. _Why_ he was in Bewear's arms, Moon didn't know, but as Lusamine began beckoning to her, she realized that it wasn't important.

As she walked over to Lusamine, she refrained from being too surprised by the other woman's presence. After all, if her intuition was right, Lusamine had been in Alola for a lot longer than a few minutes.

Once outside, she was led to a shrubby area near the lab, slightly deserted and populated by trees. Moon comforted herself with the knowledge that if the other woman tried anything, she had her trusty Decidueye in a poke ball, ready to attack at her command.

"Relax champion." Lusamine rolled her eyes at seeing Moon's defensive stance, "I merely come to talk to you."

At Moon's silence, Lusamine sighed.

"I've already spoken with your mother about this." Lusamine started once more, looking at her sharply manicured nails in fascination before turning to look at Moon, "I give you my word that if I try something…"

Lusamine paused.

"If I _try something_ ," she continued, "I get no say in my future grandchildren's names."

Moon raised an eyebrow. _Lillie was pregnant?!_

"What grandchi –" Moon started before she was cut off by Lusamine's hand over her mouth. The older woman's slightly crazed stare prevented her from struggling.

"Never mind about _that_." Lusamine hissed, her green eyes – _Lillie's and Gladion's eyes_ – flashing brightly, "We can discuss that later. What needs to be discussed _now_ is which one of my children you'd like to bed."

Moon's eyebrows raised far into her hairline. Of all the things Lusamine could've brought up, _this_ certainly wasn't what Moon had in mind.

"Don't look so shocked. You're a teenager now; I know you all think about it." Lusamine said, her tone as casual as if she were discussing the weather, "I gave birth to two children – a healthy son and a healthy daughter. I'm giving you plenty of _options_ now. A fair, lovely woman whose long hair you can run your fingers through, and whose back you can get to arch with a slender finger up the spine. Or a strong, tall man whose back is firm enough to dig your fingernails into. Your choice dearie."

The smile on Lusamine's face creeped Moon out almost as much as the detail that Lusamine had just given her. _Why_ was she so involved in her children's… _intimate lives_?

" _This_ is the conversation you had with my mom?" Moon's voice was shrill in her surprise. Granted, she was _sixteen_ and was bound to think about things like this from time to time, but nothing so…detailed as how Lusamine made it out to be. She figured it would be best for her to try and divert the conversation.

Lusamine snorted. The glint in her eyes was more amused than Moon wanted it to be.

"We actually discussed our future grandchildren." Lusamine beamed, her hand outstretched for reasons Moon didn't understand.

At the look Lusamine was giving her, Moon felt as if she was missing something. Missing something or not, she wasn't prepared for the hug that Lusamine forced upon her, her head pressing into Lusamine's chest in a manner that was almost suffocating.

"Oh, you'll give me such attractive grandchildren." She heard Lusamine croon to her as she rocked them back and forth, "Maybe I'll even let you name one. I already told Aurora she'd get custody of one of the names while I'd get the rest, but you're being such a good girl."

As Moon struggled in Lusamine's grip, the creepy vibe of the whole conversation just got more and more awkward for her.

"To think that malasada boy thinks you'll end up with Lillie." Lusamine chuckled as she finally let go of Moon, "I like to think I understand you better. You have a quiet strength about you. You need someone who can rival that."

Lusamine stopped her rant to cup Moon's cheeks in her palms, leaning so close to her that Moon could see the various shades of green in her eyes.

"You need Gladion." Lusamine declared regally, "Lillie is too weak for you."

A sense of indignation rose in Moon as she shoved Lusamine away from her.

"How can you talk about your own daughter like that?" Moon scowled, a deep frown marring her features, "She's stronger than _you_ can ever hope to be!"

Rather than appear offended at Moon's outburst, Lusamine looked satisfied, clapping her hands slowly. Moon's abrupt anger switched to confusion faster than she could process. _What was going on here?_

"Good." Lusamine said shortly, nodding her head in unspoken approval, "I had a feeling you'd say that."

 _What?_

"It doesn't really matter to me which one of my children you end up with." Lusamine shrugged as she began to pace in front of Moon, "I know that whichever one of them you choose, you'll end up making them happy…which will make _me_ happy."

Moon heard the deep emotion in Lusamine's voice and scrutinized the older woman closely. Her eyes were still bright, but not with the crazed glint present earlier. This time, her eyes were alight with the passion of a true parent.

"I thought you were helping Gladion." Was all Moon managed to say.

Lusamine let out a sound that Moon wasn't sure what to call.

"And Hau is helping Lillie. Your point?"

If she were being honest, she didn't really have a point.

"Is this your way of saying that you want your children to be happy," Moon started, "to make up for all the crappy situations you put them in during the past?"

Lusamine scoffed. Her demeanor, however, was resigned.

"As if." She answered half-heartedly, "This is about my future grandchildren, and the prestige they'll bring me."

Lusamine's argument was weak, especially to Moon's ears, but she didn't dare call the other woman out.

"You know, if you actually talked to your children instead of –" Moon's advice was silenced by the raising of Lusamine's hand. The other woman seemed reluctant to talk about the subject anymore, and for reasons unbeknownst to her, Moon let it go.

There was silence between the two for a few minutes, but surprisingly, it wasn't awkward.

"Quick question Lusamine." Moon broke the silence, averting her eyes as the other woman turned to look at her, "If I _were_ to pick Lillie, how would the whole grandchildren thing work? You want them to have my blood because I'm the Alolan champion, but you still want them to be related to you. I just don't see how –"

The wolfish grin on Lusamine's face silenced Moon, making her sorry she'd bothered to ask.

"There's a book called the Poke Sutra." Lusamine began as she wrapped an arm around Moon's shoulders, "Not to be confused with the Kama Sutra. That's the book that helped me conceive my children. Granted, it'll be a little different in your case, but I know with a few adjustments –"

Moon was _definitely_ sorry she'd asked.


	6. The Pen is Mightier than the Pokéball

**Gladion's POV**

Gladion sighed as he sat next to Lillie on one of the many park benches in Iki Town. Though the sunlight was bright, his heart was dark.

 _Dramatic much?_

As Gladion sighed once more, Lillie leveled him with a sharp look.

"What _is it_?" Lillie frowned, "I swear, if I hear you sigh one more time…"

The slicing motion she made across her throat was explanation enough.

With a slightly forlorn gaze, Gladion returned his sister's gaze.

"This whole… _wooing_ thing is getting us nowhere." He complained, his slouching a testament to how worn out he was feeling, "Let's face it…we're both crushing on the densest person in all of Alola."

Lillie opened her mouth to defend Moon, but found that she had nothing to say. It wasn't often that she'd admit this, but Gladion was _right_. Naturally, when she told Gladion this, the look of surprise on his face was worthy of a picture.

"You're right…" Lillie said slowly, watching keenly as Gladion's eyebrows raised into his hairline before she jabbed him in the chest with a finger, "but remember. _You're_ the reason why we're in this whole mess to start with!"

Gladion sputtered indignantly, as he had made a habit of doing more often.

"It's not _my fault_ that _you_ decided to have a crush on the one person in all of Alola who –"

Lillie rolled her eyes and placed a hand over Gladion's mouth.

"This whole _wooing_ thing." Lillie clarified, "Was this not _your_ idea?"

Gladion went silent, carefully removing Lillie's hand from over his mouth. A spark suddenly entered his green eyes as he jumped to his feet, pointing vigorously at Lillie, his eye wide.

" _You_ agreed to this!"

The loudness of Gladion's voice attracted many stares in the park, and Lillie found herself blushing at all the attention.

"Hey, look!" a voice shouted, "It's the Kanto champion!"

Lillie sent a withering gaze at Gladion as she was crowded by people who had seen her feats as champion on television. As she found many pieces of paper being thrust into her face for autographs, she sighed to herself.

 _This conversation was getting_ _ **nowhere**_.

* * *

"Sorry about earlier." Gladion murmured gently. He and Lillie were now in his small apartment, sitting across from one another at the dining room table, a bowl of fruits in front of them, "I didn't know you were so _famous_."

Lillie snorted. Leave it to her brother to never be without his sarcasm.

"I signed fifty autographs today after you – _I don't know, left me to get_ _ **hounded**_ _by fans in the park_!"

Gladion shrugged.

"You know I'm not a people person."

Lillie pinched the bridge of her nose and counted to ten, willing the calm façade that she'd spent her whole life creating to appear. When she was certain that a banana wasn't going to _magically_ shove itself up Gladion's – _deep breaths Lillie_ …she turned to face her brother once more.

"Why'd you call me here?"

Gladion nodded sagely – to what? Lillie had no idea, but he handed her a few sheets of lined paper and a pen. Lillie raised an eyebrow.

"What is this?"

Gladion grinned at her, waving his pen in the air.

"It's evident that we're both terrible with words…and people in general." He shrugged, "So why not put our feelings into words? It's as the old saying goes: _the pen is mightier than the pok_ _é_ _ball_."

Lillie raised an eyebrow at Gladion's rhetoric. Her brother was never one for pretty words, so she couldn't say that this idea didn't appeal to her.

After all, _what could possibly go wrong_?

* * *

 **Lusamine's POV**

"A love letter?" Lusamine questioned her only son. Her tone was judgmental. "You thought it'd be a good idea to give the girl a _love letter_?"

The tips of Gladion's ears reddened and if Lusamine weren't so baffled, she'd derive amusement from that.

"The pen is mightier –"

"… _than the pok_ _é_ _ball_." Lusamine finished drily, "Yes, I know. Same logic your father used to get into bed with me the first time."

A look of disgust crossed Gladion's face at the information that he _desperately didn't need to know_ , but Lusamine paid him no mind.

" _Your strength reminds me of a thousand machamps?_ " Lusamine was reading the letter aloud now, "What kind of sap wrote _this_? Even _I_ could come up with something better than this."

A smirk came to Lusamine's face and Gladion's face paled in response. Lusamine crumpled up Gladion's love letter and tossed it to him, watching as her son scrambled to prevent his hard work from touching the ground.

"In, fact, I _will_ write something better than this." Lusamine said matter-of-factly, reaching across the table to grasp one of Gladion's hands in one of her own, "Don't you worry, son. Mommy's got you."

A look on panic graced Gladion's face and Lusamine refrained from rolling her eyes.

"Don't you _trust me_ , Gladion?" Lusamine asked playfully.

Gladion blinked at her slowly before placing his head in his free hand.

"I'm starting to question why I do."

At that, Lusamine patted Gladion's hand gently before she reached for a pen and a fresh sheet of paper. _She'd_ make sure her son didn't look like a fool, whether it embarrassed him or not.

* * *

 **Hau's POV**

" _Your smile makes my heart flutter like butterfrees_." Hau snickered, ignoring the dirty look that Lillie gave him, "Lills, I _know_ you can do better than this."

Embarrassment was clear on Lillie's face, but she was determined not to let it show in her eyes.

"It's how I _feel_ , Hau!" Lillie protested, crossing her arms resolutely over her chest, "I'm not gonna be dishonest about my feelings. If this relationship… _potential relationship_ is gonna work, it needs honesty."

Hau shook his head gently and smiled at Lillie, taking one of her hands into his own.

"I'm not saying that honesty isn't _good_ , Lills." He clarified, the hints of a grin on his face, "All I'm saying is that your letter could use a couple of… _embellishments_."

Lillie gazed at Hau sternly.

"What _kind_ of embellishments, Hau?"

It was at that moment that Lunala chose to make its presence known, resting at Hau's feet. The malasada lover grinned even more widely.

"You just leave that to Lunala and I."

* * *

 **No One's POV**

"We need a plan." Lusamine declared to Hau. The two had decided to meet up in Hau's humble abode to discuss the whole "sibling rivalry over Moon" debacle. "This is getting ridiculous, and I want my grandchildren."

Hau nodded in agreement.

"I mean, I don't agree that grandchildren are necessary right this second." Hau raised his hand in defense as Lusamine opened her mouth to argue, "But this has gone on for far too long. I just wanna see my friends happy, you know?"

Lusamine _did_ know. Despite all of the issues that her family had in the past, Lusamine just wanted the best for her children. _Sure_ , her children may not always _agree_ on what the best was, but that's all Lusamine ultimately wanted for them.

"Can't they just open up about their feelings?" Hau's hands were thrown in the air in a rare show of exasperation, "Be _open_ , not shut away."

Hau was silent for a moment before his eyes narrowed at Lusamine.

"This is _your_ fault." He frowned, a childish pout on his adolescent features, "You just _had_ to be obsessed with perfection and –"

Hau's rant was cut off by Lusamine's snort.

"Sure, blame the half insane woman for all the problems in the world, why don't you?" she rolled her eyes. It was a miracle that she hadn't taken any _true_ offense to Hau's words, "But you do raise a good point."

A smirk donned Lusamine's features.

"Let the children show their feelings."

"A _recital_?" Lillie and Gladion exclaimed in horror.

They were sitting in a vacated area of the park, kept company by their respective allies – Hau and Lusamine.

"A _poetry_ recital." Hau clarified, giving Lusamine a genuine smile, "When we _finally_ overcame our _many_ differences, Lusey and I –"

"Don't push it." Lusamine scowled.

" _Lusamine_ and I came up with the perfect solution." Hau finished sheepishly, "Why not just write your feelings in poetry format."

"We _tried_ that already." Gladion grimaced at the memory of his mother crumpling up his hard work, "With the love letters. They were –"

"Disgraceful and unworthy of ever seeing the light of day ever again." Lusamine interjected, cutting her son off before handing both him and Lillie new, folded sheets of paper, "So Hau and I took the liberty of taking your _feelings_ and converting them into lovely, sensual poems."

Lillie's eyes widened and she hastily moved to unfold her sheet of paper before Hau covered her hand with his own, effectively halting her motions.

"Ah, ah, ah." Hau smiled, an amused glint in his chocolate eyes, "Spontaneity is what romance is made of. You two can't read these letters until you're with Moon. Otherwise, you're ruining the vibe."

As Lillie opened her mouth to protest, a shadow came over her. When she turned around to see what – or _who_ – was blocking her sunlight, she was met with a familiar gaze.

 _Moon_.

All of the color left Lillie's face, and Gladion turned an interesting shade of red before Moon finally spoke up.

"What vibe, Hau?"

The look on Hau's face resembled that of a deerling caught in headlights before he relaxed.

"Lillie and Gladion have something they'd like to share with you."


	7. Can't Believe That Worked

**A/N: *gasp* I'm not dead? I'm deeply sorry for not posting in well over a month. Finals completely drained me and I'm just now getting back on a writing spree. Hope you all still enjoy, and thanks for reading!**

 **Gladion's POV**

If anyone had told him five years ago that he'd be reciting poetry to _Moon_ of all people, he wouldn't have hesitated to glare at them, perhaps challenge them to a Pokémon battle, and storm away in a huff.

This wasn't five years ago…and Gladion, as he stood on a makeshift stage in Iki Town's largest park, surrounded by the whole town, questioned how he had gotten this far. When the idea of a poetry recital was initially brought to his attention, he'd thought that it would occur in an intimate area, somewhere like Kukui's lab, or someone's apartment, not in front of the _whole town_. He didn't even have time to contemplate before Lusamine had pushed him on stage, thrusting a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

"Read this and you'll be fine." Lusamine had hissed in his ear before leaving him to his fate.

Gladion took a deep breath, sighed, and turned to face the park's inhabitants.

"Good afternoon everyone." He began, his voice cracking slightly in nervousness, "My name is Gladion and –"

"Get on with it!" Lusamine yelled, her palms cupped around her mouth in an effort to amplify her voice.

As the crowd began to murmur, Gladion glared at his mother, who merely grinned and waved up at him. It suddenly dawned on Gladion that this was his mother's attempt at making him less nervous…by making him angry.

It worked.

"As I was saying." Gladion's confidence had returned, "You are all gathered here –"

"Are you having a free giveaway?" Youngster Joey cried from the middle of the crowd, "My Rattata's getting lonely and –"

"The next person who interrupts me is getting something lodged where the sun doesn't shine!" Gladion fumed, "Understood?"

The crowd was stunned into silence, except for the former Team Skull Admin, Plumeria, who wolf whistled in approval.

" _As I was saying_ ," Gladion continued in exasperation, "you are all gathered here because I have something to say. For a long time, I've been lonely, and –"

The sound of Lusamine's snort and hiss of "stick to what I wrote you" made Gladion lose all of his nerve. One glance at Lillie told him that she was feeling just as awkward as he was. A look at Moon's confused countenance only served to worsen Gladion's nerves.

"I'm just gonna read this now." Gladion proclaimed as he unfurled the piece of paper his mother wrote notes on for him, "It should explain the gist of what I'm trying to say."

At the first glance of what was written on the paper, Gladion's heart dropped into his stomach. Nevertheless, he soldiered on:

 _Dearest Moon_

 _You make me swoon_

 _I'm normally a prude_

 _But I wanna see you nude_

At the last line, Gladion's face burned bright red. He chanced a look at Moon and nearly fainted at the amused smirk that had donned her face. What made it worse was the fact that she made direct eye-contact with him, amidst the chuckling (and in Hau's case – guffaws) of the crowd, and mouthed two simple words to him… _keep going_.

Clearing his throat, and straightening his posture, Gladion did just that:

 _From the day I first met you_

 _I knew that I would not rue_

 _Every battle that I would lose_

 _If I meant that I could see you_

 _I've been alone for so long_

 _Even though I act oh so strong_

 _Being with me can't possibly be wrong_

 _I'll make it worth your while, as I have a really big don…_

"I am _not_ reading that." Gladion's flush was even deeper now as he ripped the paper into shreds. He jumped down from the stage to stand in front of Moon, crossing his arms sulkily as the crowd erupted once more in laughter.

"I like you, okay?" He groaned, "That's all. And I'm emotionally incompetent so I had to resort to my mother helping me."

The only indication of Moon's understanding was the continually amused glint in her eyes.

"Say something, will you?" Gladion pleaded.

Moon's lips twitched slightly as she turned to Lillie.

"I believe it's Lillie's turn now."

* * *

 **Lillie's POV**

To say that Lillie was nervous was the understatement of Alolan history. But as she stood in front of a now quiet crowd, Moon included, she couldn't find it in herself to care. After all, if Gladion could get through admitting his feelings, so could she… _right_?

With a deep breath, Lillie began to read what Hau wrote for her:

 _Moon,_

 _There are many things that I want to say_

 _But I fear that I do not have all day_

 _Your time is precious and so is your soul_

 _To earn your love is my true goal_

 _You make my heart and my life so whole_

 _I can't stop now, I'm on a roll_

 _I'll start with a request, something very simple_

 _Even simpler than popping a rather large pimple_

Lillie refrained from gagging at that. And to think Hau was doing so well:

 _I need just one picture, a picture of you_

 _So I can show Santa, all I want for Christmas is you_

 _Please let me know when my shoelaces are loose_

 _Because the only one I wanna fall for is you_

 _Let me take you to dinner_

 _I'll show you something cool_

 _I already know what's on the menu, me-n-u_

At this last line, Lillie paused. This had to be the most romantic, albeit cheesy, poem that Lillie had ever read, let alone recited. But she knew she couldn't take credit for it. By now, the crowd, which had sensed that there would be no more giggles, had dispersed, allowing Lillie to exit the makeshift stage without much fuss. She walked over to Moon and, ignoring Gladion's presence, took Moon's hand.

"As lovely as that poem was, I can't take credit for it." Lillie admitted softly before turning to Hau, "I appreciate you _so_ much for this, but if I'm going to tell her how I feel, it has to come from me."

With that, she turned back to Moon, who was staring at her with an unidentified emotion in her eyes.

"I _love you_ , Moon." Lillie declared firmly, squeezing the other girl's hand firmly before letting it go, "And I can't say that with someone else's words."

The silence was almost stifling before Lusamine cleared her throat.

"That was… _sweet_ , I'll admit." Lusamine grumbled before sighing, providing the Alolan champion with her full attention, "But my question is: _which one of my children will you be courting_?"

Moon gave both Lillie and Gladion a soft smile.

"Allow me to take you both on a date." Moon said gently, "I'll take Gladion first, tonight, and then Lillie tomorrow. There's still something I need to know."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving four very confused individuals behind.


	8. Date Night

**Moon's POV**

As Moon admired her reflection in the mirror, preparing for her date with Gladion, Bewear made its way over to her, nudging her with its head as it got down on all fours.

"How do I look?" Moon asked the Pokémon playfully, knowing full well that it wouldn't respond.

Her Bewear cocked its head to the side and let out a small whine, nudging into Moon further.

"I'm going on a date with Gladion, you know?" Moon asked, running her hand through Bewear's soft fur, smiling as the Bewear began purring like a Purugly, "And then I'm going out with Lillie."

Moon could've sworn that the Bewear was staring at her judgmentally as it immediately stopped purring.

" _What_?" Moon frowned, "I'm not _trying_ to lead them both on. I'm trying to see who I have more of a connection with, you know?"

The Bewear continued to look at her with the same look on its face, and Moon sighed. She supposed that there were some things that only a human could understand.

 **Gladion's POV**

"I'm not freaking out Silvally, honest!" Gladion murmured, almost to himself as he paced back and forth in his humble abode, "There is a perfectly _logical_ explanation for why I'm pacing."

As Gladion turned to stare at his beloved Pokémon, he imagined that the Pokémon was giving him a questioning look that said " _oh yeah, what's that reason, idiot_?"

"Don't give me that look, Silvally!" Gladion hissed, kneeling down to the Pokémon's height. He could practically feel the warm air coming from Silvally as it breathed, "This is the most important day of my life and I –"

Gladion was cut off by one of Silvally's front legs, which had decided that Gladion's head was fertile ground for kicking.

"Ow!" Gladion cried out, clutching his head as he recoiled from the impact, "What the _hell_ was that for?"

Silvally only huffed in response, and it looked as if it were narrowing its eyes.

"You think I've gone mad, don't you?" Gladion breathed, "I haven't. I'm just nervous."

As soon as Gladion admitted that to himself, a small chuckle escaped his lips. The chuckle grew in volume and before he realized it, he had erupted into full-blown laughter.

"It's _just_ a date." Gladion reasoned to himself, "With _Moon_. There's no reason for me to be nervous, right?"

The responding lick Silvally gave to Gladion's face told him that it agreed with him.

"You look b-beautiful tonight." Gladion stuttered as he took in Moon's appearance, having just arrived at Moon's house to pick her up for their date. He immediately cursed himself for sounding so nervous.

 _So much for the pep talk he had to give himself on the way there_.

"Not too bad yourself, charmer." Moon replied cheekily, causing Gladion's face to warm, "Ready to go?"

Gladion raised an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't I say goodbye to your mom too?"

At Gladion's question, Moon's eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly.

"She'll hound us for pictures, and I'm not going through that." Moon explained, leaning closer to whisper in Gladion's ear, "I told her you were picking me up an hour later than you actually are. She's in the shower now."

Gladion felt his nerves dissipate as he smirked at her.

"Someone has a bad side."

Moon let out a dark chuckle that Gladion didn't know she was capable of.

He'd do just about anything to hear it again.

"You have _no_ idea."

* * *

So much for Gladion's nerves being gone.

As he and Moon arrived at the restaurant Gladion had reservations for, _Midnight Delight_ , Gladion thought he'd be fine. He'd managed to handle the reservations properly, he didn't trip over his own feet, and he made it to their table without any grievous injury. The only problem was that when they got to the table, Gladion completely froze up. Moon was staring at him questioningly, and Gladion was rooted to the spot. The pokéball he kept with him at all times – the one containing his Silvally – was shaking in its holder, but Gladion's nerves prevented him from doing anything about it.

"Something wrong Gladion?" Even Moon's voice wasn't enough to break Gladion out of his trance.

Before Gladion could even respond, his pokéball broke open, revealing Silvally to the other patrons of the restaurant. The customers gasped in disbelief; even Moon's eyes were widened in shock.

"Silvally!" Gladion hissed, holding the still intact pokéball in his hand, "Get back inside… _now_!"

Silvally let out what seemed to be a snort, and moved over to Moon, nudging her towards the seat until she was sitting down, pushing her towards the table. Then, and only then, did Silvally get back into its pokéball.

Gladion gaped at the area where Silvally had previously occupied before sitting down across from Moon.

"I didn't know Silvally was such a gentle Pokémon." Moon's amused voice brought Gladion out of his reverie.

Gladion let out a small smile.

"He gets it from me, you know?"

"I always figured you were part Pokémon, Gladion."

"That's not what I –" Gladion started before he noticed the smirk on Moon's face, "You're really something, you know?"

Moon shrugged, but said nothing. Not long after a waiter took their orders, there was a silence between the two.

"So how long have you known that you liked me?" Moon was direct, and Gladion appreciated that she didn't beat around the bush.

"Honestly, I don't really know." Gladion admitted, cringing internally at his lame response, "I guess I first realized it around the time you first became champion. You've always had your head on your shoulders, always had a goal in mind, and you didn't stop until you accomplished it."

Gladion paused.

"I never knew what it was like to really reach for the stars until I met you."

A half smile graced Moon's face, and Gladion knew that he'd said the right thing. Before he could say anything else, their meals had arrived, the waiter giving an apologetic glance at Gladion – as if he knew that he was trying to talk – before leaving the two alone once more.

"Let's eat, shall we?" Moon grinned.

With a sigh, Gladion nodded.

"Let's."

* * *

Gladion managed to get through the rest of the dinner without making a fool of himself, which, for him, was a great accomplishment. Ignoring the beginning of their date, Gladion thought that he did pretty well for himself.

As they approached Moon's house, Gladion felt the telltale sign of butterflies in his stomach. At the end of every stereotypical date, there was a kiss. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to go for it, or let Moon make that first move? Kiss her on the cheek, or go for the lips? Kiss her hand, or –

"Gladion." Moon's voice brought his thoughts to a screeching halt, and he felt himself go red at the thought of being caught off guard yet _again_.

"Hm?" Gladion cursed himself. Was _hm_ _really_ the best he could come up with?

"I had a really nice time tonight." Moon was moving closer to him, and Gladion – just as he had at the beginning of their evening together – froze.

This was it! This was the moment that he had seen in all the movies. The big kiss was upon him. And yet, he couldn't move. Oh, he hoped that she wouldn't be too hard on –

The feeling of Moon's soft lips on his cheek brought a dopey grin to Gladion's face. Before he could revel in the sensation, the abrupt sound of camera clicks brought him out of it, prompting him to scowl.

" _Mom_!" Moon whined.

Moon's mother – Aurora – stood at the door, camera in hand and smirk on her face. Neither Gladion nor Moon had heard when the door opened.

"That's what you get for tricking me about the time of your date." Aurora crossed her arms, the amused twinkle in her eyes belying the fact that she wasn't truly upset, "This is for posterity. Goodnight Gladion."

With that, Aurora ushered Moon inside and shut the door, leaving Gladion alone on the doorstep. Raising a tentative hand to his cheek, Gladion felt the spot where Moon's lips previously were. A sharp smack to the back of his head caused Gladion's head to snap back.

 _What the hell_?

Turning around, Gladion was face to face with his mother, Lusamine.

"What the _hell_ , mom?" Gladion frowned, wincing again as Lusamine struck his once more.

"Don't speak to me in that manner!" Lusamine huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance, "Now tell me all about your little date before you get lost in your fantasy."

Rather than getting into a verbal argument with Lusamine, Gladion sighed. It wasn't worth getting riled up about anyways.

 **Lillie's POV**

"I'm not stressing." Lillie insisted, as she made the trek to Moon's house, "Seriously. I'm not stressing."

Lillie ignored the fact that she was talking to herself.

"You've got this Lillie." She tried to give herself a pep talk, but it was doing very little to calm her nerves, "It's a very _casual_ night with a very _casual_ girl."

Lillie snorted to herself in disbelief.

"Yeah, _right_." Lillie rolled her eyes at her own words as she approached Moon's house, "Keep telling yourself that, Lills."

She knocked swiftly on Moon's front door before she could talk herself out of it. She was the Kanto champion, damnit! _Nothing_ should make her nervous anymore.

The flash of a camera broke her train of thought, momentarily blinding her.

" _Mom_!" Lillie could vaguely make out Moon's voice amidst the stars that were now slowly clearing out of her vision.

"Sorry, hun." Moon's mother pulled her in for a hug, one that Lillie returned blindly, "Your brother was a bit trickier and left an hour earlier for his date, so I had to make _sure_ I'd get a picture of you."

Lillie only nodded dumbfoundedly. Gladion had told her nothing about his date with Moon, and she didn't ask. This was still a competition, after all.

"You look great, Lillie."

The voice came from Moon and as the blonde turned to look at her, a blush gathered in her cheeks. Lillie had always felt an attraction towards Moon, but _wow_ did she look lovely tonight.

"You too." Lillie's voice was soft, and the tone definitely lower than usual.

"We should go before my mom decides to make a whole photo album based on tonight." Moon pulled Lillie out of her house, ignoring her mother's shouts behind them.

Lillie couldn't even focus on that. Her mind was only on the feeling of Moon's hand in her own.

"So where to, Lills?" Lillie didn't think she'd ever heard _anyone_ pronounce her nickname in such a pleasant manner.

Lillie shook her head to clear her mind of those thoughts.

"My house."

Moon's smirk caused Lillie to flush even deeper, suddenly realizing how what she said sounded.

"Why _Lillie_ , at least take me on that date first." Moon purred.

At the sound of Moon's purr, Lillie wanted to sink into the ground. She settled for shaking her head desperately.

"No, no." Lillie denied hastily, "I just thought it would be nicer if instead of going out to a restaurant –"

Lillie was silenced immediately by Moon placing a single finger on her lips. Lillie refrained from pressing a kiss to said finger.

"I'm just bothering you, Lills. Take it easy." Moon's smile was gentle now as she swung Lillie's hand playfully, "Lead the way."

* * *

Spaghetti and meatballs is a rather simple dish to prepare. The sauce wasn't difficult to make, and the spaghetti could be primed while half asleep.

What Lillie didn't count on, however, was leaving the noodles on for too long.

"No, no, no!" Lillie cried out, turning out the flame that rested mockingly under her noodles.

She hesitantly lifted the pot cover off of the noodles and prodded them with a fork, her heart sinking as they broke without much pressure.

"Something wrong?"

Lillie startled at the proximity of Moon's voice, raising a hand to her chest to stop the intense throbbing of her heart from getting the best of her.

"N-nothing." Lillie murmured quietly, "It's just – I had this all planned out, you know? I was gonna make us spaghetti and meatballs. I had smoothies that I made in the fridge to complement it. I've had a crush on you ever since we met and I've been _dreaming_ of having the opportunity to take you for dinner and now it's all ruin –"

Lillie was cut off by Moon leaning into her from behind, taking the fork out of her hand and steadying herself with a hand on Lillie's waist. If Lillie was blushing _before_ , she was going to die of a heat stroke by the end of the night.

"This is salvageable." Lillie could sense that Moon was grinning without looking at her, "How about I help you to make it, hm? I'm a great cook."

Moon was quiet for a moment.

"This could be romantic."

Lillie bit her lip to prevent herself from smiling goofily, but was wholly unsuccessful.

Take _that_ Gladion!

"I'd love that."

* * *

As Lillie reflected on her date later that night while in bed, she sighed happily to herself, bringing her fingers to the corner of her mouth. She couldn't tell whether Moon had been trying to kiss her cheek, or her lips, but Lillie was too content to really care.

 _Sure_ , dinner had almost been a disaster, but Moon had managed to save the day, just like she'd saved Alola five years ago.

Now all she had to do was wait for Moon's decision – _her_ or _Gladion_.

 **Lusamine's POV**

Lusamine sat at a table across from Moon, her children on either side of her. Hau was currently pacing back and forth, biting his nails in anxiousness. She hadn't been able to get a straight answer out of either of her children about how their respective dates with Moon had gone, and at this point, Lusamine didn't care about their prudishness. She only had one question for Moon.

"You've had your time to think, Moon.' Lusamine stated bluntly, leaning across the table towards Moon, "Now which one of my children is it gonna be? _Gladion_ or _Lillie_?"


	9. The Final Choice

**No One's POV**

Moon turned to stare at all the occupants in the room, a contemplative look on her face. Gladion was trying his hardest to look aloof, but it was evident that he was nervous. Lillie, on the other hand, wore her emotions on her sleeves. The five years she had spent away from Alola had done a lot for her character, but it still didn't hide the fact that she was anxious. Lusamine looked as if there were a million different places she'd rather be, and Hau couldn't stop sneaking _not so furtive_ glances at everyone.

 _So much for discreet_.

Moon cleared her throat gently, refraining from lowering her eyes as everyone turned to face her once more. The air was tense, only made tenser by the sound of Lusamine tapping her nails on a nearby table. Gladion's glare only served to make Lusamine smirk, though she _did_ lessen the noise she was making.

"Any day now." Lusamine yawned.

Moon pursed her lips before sighing, turning to Gladion. She gave him a soft smile.

"Gladion." She began, making sure to keep her tone light – she didn't want to disrupt the ambiance – "I really enjoyed our date last night. And the way you recited that poem your mother wrote the other day."

Gladion turned red and promptly began sputtering.

"How do you know –"

"Please." Moon scoffed, a smirk donning her features, "I'm not _that_ dense, you know?"

Moon paused.

"And yes, I figured out a _long_ time ago that you were working with Lusamine, while Hau was helping Lillie."

Lillie blinked in apparent confusion, the red coloring in her cheeks making her resemble Gladion. Hau merely rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, muttering excuses about the _nature of love_ under his breath while Lusamine appeared smug.

"But regardless, I found the whole thing to be really cute." Moon smiled, "Especially when I had a little talk with my mother about 'blonde siblings' being the children of 'Satan herself.'"

It was this that caught Lusamine's attention, and the elder blonde woman bolted out of her chair, the force enough to knock the chair to the ground. Her eyebrows were knitted downwards, and she was scowling.

" _Satan_?" She fumed, hands clenched into fists, "I'll show that wretch _Satan_ –"

"Lusamine, please." Was all Moon said before Lusamine took a deep breath, lowering herself into one of the chairs that she _hadn't_ knocked to the ground.

With the room quiet once more, Moon continued.

"All in all, I really enjoyed my time with you, Gladion." Moon said gently, reaching out to grab one of his hands in both of her own, "You really are a great guy."

The soft smile on Gladion's face was so uncharacteristic that it gave Moon pause. She then began frowning, as if she were about to say something that she really didn't want to.

"And in knowing all of that, I have to be fully honest with you." Moon let go of Gladion's hand, looking him straight in the eyes, "A wise person once told me that it was alright for me to feel some sort of attraction towards peaches and bananas, and the only thing that mattered was if I was truly happy. If I was being true to myself."

Everyone in the room aside from Lusamine looked utterly confused. The elder blonde let out a disbelieving snort.

"I can't believe Aurora's _still_ using that analogy." Lusamine muttered quietly to herself, not that anyone paid much attention to what she was saying.

Gladion felt his eyebrows knit, almost fully certain of what Moon was trying to say, despite the ridiculous fruit analogy. _He_ was the _banana_ and _Lillie_ was the _peach_ , and there was only room for one fruit to have Moon's affections.

"You…don't have to say it." Gladion murmured quietly, and he knew immediately by the look Moon gave him that this was something she had to get off of her chest.

"I'm sorry, Gladion." Moon's tone was apologetic, and ironically, that was the _last_ thing he wanted from her, "But I choose Lillie."

The air in the room was thick, no one daring to break the silence. Gladion chanced a look at his sister. The latter's face was completely void of emotion, save for the slight flicker in her eyes. He knew that she was happy, but it wasn't in her character to gloat. He turned to Hau, and was surprised to see the younger boy looking at him with concern in his dark orbs. Gladion refrained from scoffing. He didn't need the boy's pity.

Incidentally, it was Lusamine who approached him, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. She didn't say anything to him, but her presence was appreciated. With a sigh, Gladion turned back to Moon.

"I'm…happy for you." He forced out. Had this been years ago, he would've resented her decision, resented his sister, _hell_ , even resented Hau for bearing witness to such an awkward moment, but he had grown a lot in five years. As such, he knew how to let bygones be bygones, "Really, I am. But just one thing."

He stepped closer to Moon, inadvertently brushing his mother's hand off of his shoulder in the process.

"If you hurt my sister, there will be _hell_ to pay…champion or not." Gladion said sternly, making sure to make full eye contact with the Alolan champion, "Got that?"

He half expected his sister to tell him that she wasn't a baby anymore, but she remained silent. Moon, in the meanwhile, gave him a solid nod.

"I will _never_ hurt her."

Gladion let a small smile show.

"Good." And with that, Gladion left the building.

* * *

 **Gladion's POV**

Gladion didn't know how long he was walking for, or even where he was going, but the one thing he was certain of was the fact that he needed to get away from everyone. He had never had a crush before Moon, so to say that his ego had been decimated would be the understatement of the decade. So lost in his thoughts, he didn't pay any attention to where he was going until he collided with someone.

The person, just slightly shorter than him, was knocked to the ground. Cursing his luck, Gladion extended a hand, fully intent on helping the person up.

"Don't bother." A female voice chastised him, slapping his hand away as she stood up by herself.

Gladion's eyes narrowed. He knew that voice _anywhere_. The blonde and pink locks of the woman only confirmed his theory.

"Plumeria." Gladion finally said, a frown donning his features.

The woman – _Plumeria_ – rolled her eyes, a displeased look on her face.

"Don't sound _so happy_ to see me."

Gladion was startled at the slightly hurt quality of Plumeria's voice. He didn't expect her to take his nonchalance so personally.

"Sorry." Gladion rubbed the back of his neck, "I've just been having a bad day. Turns out, Moon doesn't like me after all."

Plumeria regarded him quietly, and Gladion couldn't recall a moment in which he had _ever_ seen the woman so thoughtful.

"I know what it's like to not have a guy reciprocate my feelings." She settled for, shrugging as if she were completely unbothered, "It's a sucky feeling when it first happens, and it'll continue to suck for a good while after."

Gladion raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't peg you as the type to give _me_ any advice."

Plumeria scoffed.

"Don't flatter yourself." Plumeria crossed her arms, "What I'm _trying_ to say is…why don't we help each other make our situations less sucky?"

Gladion blinked. Was she really proposing what he thought she was proposing? A chance look at Plumeria – with her now slightly blushing cheeks – was enough confirmation for Gladion.

A small smile grew at the corners of Gladion's lips.

"Pick you up at 7?"

Plumeria's smile was the only answer he needed.

 **A/N:** **In the end, the votes for Lillie ended up surpassing the ones for Gladion (sorry Gladion fans!). The next (and last) chapter is Lusamine centric. Stay tuned!**


	10. Life is But a Dream

**Lusamine's POV**

 _It was with a sharp intake of breath that Lusamine shot out of bed. She was sweating, and her heart was racing abnormally fast. She was bathed in the moonlight that streamed in from the window that was adjacent to her bed. She couldn't recall what her dream had been about, just that she wasn't happy about it. It was just like the time she had been merged with that…_ _ **beast**_ _thing all those years ago. She had no recollection of the event, but the lingering effects left her scarred._

 _Letting out a deep sigh, she attempted to roll over, only to find that there was something restricting her movement. Looking down, she saw a strong arm wrapped around her waist…an arm that wasn't there when she'd went to bed earlier that night. She struggled against it, but for the life of her, that arm was just too strong for her._

" _Something wrong, dear?" A quiet voice murmured into her ear._

 _At the sound of the voice, Lusamine broke free of the arm's grasp, turning swiftly to see where – or_ _ **who**_ _– the voice had come from. She was met with a very familiar pair of irises._

 _There, in her bed, was the Alolan Champion herself – Moon._

 _The scream Lusamine let out could've woken everyone in the Alola region._

 _Lusamine jumped out of bed for the second time that night, just barely able to stop herself from falling off of the bed. She had just had the_ _ **worst**_ _nightmare ever, even worse than the time she found out that malasadas weren't just a "one-time craze." Of all the things she could've dreamt, she hadn't expected to have a dream about the Alolan Champion. She had never been attracted to the girl in the slightest – she was far too young for her, and she still missed Mohn dearly. Not to mention that the girl had an infuriating habit of thwarting her plans._

 _As she slowly came to, she registered the feeling of yet another arm around her waist. Scowling, she didn't even bother to look down this time._

" _Get out of my bed, Moon." Lusamine's tone was harsh. She had had_ _ **enough**_ _shenanigans for one night._

 _The sound of a snicker gave Lusamine pause. She was fairly certain that she'd heard that sound before. It came from one of the smuggest people she knew._

" _Is that any way to treat your malasada babe?" A slightly deep voice asked her._

 _It was with trepidation that Lusamine turned around, only to meet the wide, brown eyes that she had come to dislike with a passion._

 _Lo and behold, Hau was sharing her bed. What made it worse was the fact that he was wagging his eyebrows at her, as if he thought that his petty flirting was enough to rile her up._

" _Don't you have a girlfriend?" Lusamine cursed herself for how weak her voice sounded. Having a raspy voice from sleep was one thing, but this was just plain ridiculous._

 _The grin that Hau gave her made her want to throw up._

" _What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."_

 _Lusamine arched a judgmental brow at the boy._

" _That doesn't make any sense."_

 _Hau's grin only got wider._

" _Don't tell me you don't want this." Hau reached out to caress Lusamine's belly, smirking as Lusamine slapped his hand away harshly, "Come now Lucy. Is that any way to treat the father of your baby?"_

 _Lusamine took a shuddering breath and hesitated to look down. Hau, taking note of Lusamine's reluctance, gently grasped Lusamine's chin in his hand, guiding it down so she could stare at her belly. Elongated and stiff, the sight of her belly prompted Lusamine to come to a troubling realization._

 _She was pregnant…_ _ **again**_ _…with_ _ **Hau's**_ _child._

 _This time, as she shrieked in horror, Hau was there to echo her screams with laughter of his own._

 _When Lusamine jumped out of bed for the third time that night, she was relieved to realize that she was alone. No Moon, and no Hau to haunt her. The thought was almost enough to calm her rattled nerves, but the earlier dreams she'd had were enough to make her fairly conscious. As she walked through her darkened home and into her kitchen, she resolved to get a warm glass of milk before returning to bed. Nothing could be stranger than anything she'd already experienced that night._

 _As she turned on the lights, allowing a soft glow to illuminate her kitchen, she was surprised – and yet unsurprised – to see Aurora sitting down at the table, wearing a warm grin. Unable to stop herself, Lusamine let out a derisive snort._

" _What's wrong, Lusamine?" Aurora cut straight to the chase, standing up and making her way over to Lusamine._

 _Lusamine crossed her arms, an annoyed frown on her face._

" _You're not here to tell me that I'm in some sort of relationship with Moon?"_

 _Aurora's brows crinkled in confusion._

" _No. Why would I?"_

" _Or that Hau got me pregnant?"_

" _That's ridiculous."_

" _Or that_ _ **we're**_ _in some kind of friends with benefits relationship?"_

 _At this, Aurora gave a gentle smile, one that did nothing to alleviate Lusamine's stress._

" _Of_ _ **course**_ _not, Lusamine." Aurora took Lusamine's hands in her own, and Lusamine let out a breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding, "What_ _ **we**_ _had has been done with for almost twenty years."_

 _Lusamine felt her heart sink, and she wrenched her hands away from Aurora's._

" _Twenty years?"_

 _Aurora nodded, giving Lusamine a sympathetic look that the latter longed to wipe off with a hard slap to the face._

" _I know your memory is a bit faulty, but don't you remember the time we conceived Moon?" The horror on Lusamine's face allowed Aurora to continue, "You didn't want Mohn to know because you already had Gladion, and I was with my husband, so we kept it a secret all these years?"_

 _Lusamine felt the ground beneath her give way. It was all too much for her, all the dreams. This couldn't be real life. This couldn't be real life. This couldn't be…_

"Mom, are you okay?"

Lusamine's eyes shot open for what she thought was the fourth time, and she promptly fell off of her bed. Groaning, she took the hand that was offered to her – Gladion's – and made her way into a standing position. Her dark green eyes surveyed her surroundings – Gladion was standing in front of her with a concerned look on his face, Plumeria looked nonchalant as she casually threw a pokéball into the air every few seconds, Lillie looked confused from her place in Moon's arms.

"Moon was in my bed." Lusamine blurted out, pointing an accusatory finger at the girl in question, "And then Hau was, and he got me pregnant! But then Aurora was there and she told me that Moon was our love child from a twenty-year affair that I can't remember and Hau was touching my belly and Moon called me 'dear' and I just wanted a glass of milk and to sleep and –"

"Mom, breathe." Lillie's voice had a calming effect on Lusamine, who placed a hand on her chest, "It was just a nightmare."

Lusamine's eyes darted wildly around the room. They all thought she was crazy. She couldn't handle that… _not again_.

"Screw… _all of you_!" Lusamine huffed indignantly as she stormed out of the room.

She wasn't crazy. She _knew_ what she had experienced.

 **Lillie's POV**

As Lusamine left the room in a hurry, a slow smile donned Lillie's lips. She let Lunala out of its pokéball and stroked one of its wings affectionately. Plumeria gave her a begrudging look of respect.

"Remind me again of how that dream manipulation thing works." Plumeria's tone was intrigued, as Gladion wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, "I didn't know that Lunala could affect dreams."

Lillie smirked, her features becoming softer as Moon hugged her from behind.

"Darkrai owed me a favor from my time in Kanto." Lillie answered shortly.

What that favor consisted of was for her alone to know, and as Plumeria shrugged indifferently, Lillie couldn't help but bask in the glory of her accomplishments. Not only had she gotten the girl, but she had also managed to one-up her mother for all her relationship intervening.

 _She had finally won_.


End file.
